A change in the tides
by NeroReborn
Summary: The legion launched their third invasion and won, but now, forces work to right the wrongs made, to thwart the invasion before it begins. The fate of azaroth hangs in the balance.


_**Hello everyone. NeroReborn here with another new fanfiction... god, I need to gain some consistency in my writing. I know, it's been awhile, but I'm hoping this new story will give me the drive to get back into writing that I used to have. Now, fair warning, this story includes themes of time travel, forced submission and forced marriage. If you don't like these themes, then I suggest looking elsewhere. This story idea popped into my head a few weeks ago, and I had to write it out. So, without wasting any more time, here's the story.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Warcraft and Warcraft 3 are both owned by blizzard.**_

_**Second disclaimer: I am not extremely knowledgeable on warcraft lore, so my logic might not be based on the original, but this is fanfiction. Where people go to write for fun, and show their talent. I will gladly take any pointers or constructive criticism, but of you haters/trolls out there, and you know who you are: don't be a dick.**_

One day, in the world of Azeroth.

A large cloaked figure made his way through the desolate castle of theramore, the entire land beyond the castle made into a wasteland, devoid off life outside of demons and monsters. Nearly 30 years ago, the demons launched their third invasion..

And they won.

Now, Lorderon and Kalimdor were reduced to deserts where demons and monsters reigned. The figure grimaces, before turning, opening a door to a stairwell down to the dungeon. In his younger years, he was forbidden from coming down to the dungeon... if only he had known why, he would have defied those orders long before. He walked down the cells, before reaching one where 3 women were chained to the wall, along with a skeleton chained to the far side.

He opens the cell, walking in, before whispering.** "Is the spell ready?"** the woman in the middle nods, opening her hands to reveal a complex spell of magic runes, elven, human, and demonic all at once, the large figure nodding.** "I will save you. All of you. I refuse to let this fate befall you all again."** The women all nod, smiling as the circle expanded to surround the figure, the middle woman smiling, staring into the figures blue eyes. "Go, my son... save this world." The figure nods. **"I will... mother."** A bright light encompassed him before he disappeared from existence, the women looking to each other. "It all rests on him now..."

The figure was hurled through magic, space and time, feeling years of the past fly by him, gritting his teeth as he felt his arcane and demon magics clashing, before roaring as he appeared in a burning circle, isolated in the woods. He pants, checking his body for injuries. **"It worked... I must find where I am... or rather, when I am... I promise you, mother, I will change the course of fate... I refuse to let that future happen to you, or any of the others... the burning legion will fail... I will make sure of it."**

At the same time, on the road to the city of Strahnbrad.

It was a quiet day in the village of Stranbrad. Children were playing while knights Marched in formation, setting up a camp. Uther the lightbringer was waiting patiently with his troops, expecting his charge, prince arthas menethil to arrive any time now. The clanking of distant armor caused him to turn, before smiling as he saw the young prince approaching with a guard of 4 footmen. "Arthas. Glad you can make it." Arthas smiled at his old mentor and friend. "Please, uther. I might be prince, but you are still my superior as a paladin. What news?"

Uther sighs, walking to a small war table with a map on it. "The orcs in the foothills are getting bold. We have reports that they plan to raid the city of Strahnbrad before the day's end." Arthas frowns. "So, what is the plan?" Unther looks to arthas. "I will take my forces and start making a bas outside the orc encampment. I want you to handle the city's defences." Arthat looked slightly surprised. "Are you sure, uther?" The senior paladin chuckles. "This is what you became a paladin for, arthas. If king terenas believes you worthy, I see no reason why you can't accomplish this." Arthas was stunned for a short minute, before nodding. "Alright. Men! Move out!" Uther smiled as he and several footmen started headed in the direction of the orc encampment, leaving arthas with his main guard.

Arthas hefted his maul. "Let's go men. The city is almost defenceless." His footmen saluted. "Of course, my lord." They started marching towards the city, passing by several villagers, the various citizens greeting them, a distraught woman coming up to the soldiers. "Please, you must help me. My son, Timmy, was kidnapped by a group of knolls. Please bring him home" arthas nods, frowning. "Our forces are a little short..." The woman points to a house at the corner of the village. "A couple of veterans live there, and would gladly retake arms for Lorderon. Please, save my son."

Arthas nods. "Very well. We'll bring your son back." Arthas walks over to the house, two men working on cutting firewood, before they noticed prince arthas. "Your highness." Arthas nods to them. "Lorderon has the need of your services once more. We are to save a kidnapped child, then stop an orc raid." The men quickly stood to attention. "We'll fight for Lorderon. We shall arm ourselves at once." The two men went inside the house, the clanking of metal heard inside, before both men came out fully armored, arthas nodding. "Your loyalty shall be rewarded."

Arthas and his men filed towards a forest beyond the village. Their weapons at the ready as they came up on the knoll camp, the sounds of a crying child coming from the hanging cages. Arthas growls, tightening his grip on his maul. "To arms, my brothers!" Arthas and his men charged upon the knolls, the first to fall being the knoll scout, being viciously cut down before it could react. 2 knoll assassins aimed their crossbows, shooting one of arthas's footmen, causing him to stumble lightly as the bolts punched into his armor, the knoll warden casting a purge that slowed arthas down, but the effect didn't last long. Two of Arthas's footmen took one of the assassins, while the other three flanked and skewered the other. Arthas himself raised his hammer, slamming it down on the knoll warden's head, it's skull caving in as it fell down dead.

A soft whimper came from the cage, a small boy crying. "P-please... i-i wanna go home..." Arthas searched the warden, finding a ring of keys on it as he came to the cage, unlocking it, before picking up timmy, the child instantly clinging to arthas, crying into his armor. Arthas runs timmy's back, before setting him down. "You're safe now, son. Nobody's gonna hurt you." Timmy sniffles lightly, nodding. Arthas turns to him men, before spinning around, frowning as he felt... something. "Men, take the boy to his mother." The men nod, escorting the boy out of the forest.

Arthas frowns as he turns around, gripping his hammer. "Whoever you are, show yourself. I can sense the dark power rolling off of you." A shuffle behind a cluster of trees made arthas turn towards the noise, only to recoil as he saw what he could only describe as a demon. The figure was large, almost a foot taller than arthas himself, with pale cracked skin, sword like claws instead of fingers, and sharp fangs protruding from his mouth. The demon wore what looked to be a set of dark blue armor, almost like arthas's, but magical runes glowed along the armor, two horns protruding from the demon's skill. The demon had deep blue eyes like the depths of the ocean.

Arthas stared in horror at the demon, before gritting his teeth, steeling his nerves as he charged, swinging his maul to strike the abomination before him. He raised his maul high, only to hit the tree as the demon swiftly sidestepped, enraging arthas and he brought his maul for a side swindle, the demon jumping back with grace, arthas rushing another time, his maul coming closer and closer to the demon's head... before stopping entirely. Arthas looked in shock as the demon caught his maul by the happer head in his palm, before throwing the maul head back, causing arthas to stumble. Arthat looked up to glare at the demon, only to be bewildered as the demon raised a hand in a signal to stop.

**"I am not here to fight you, prince Arthas Menethil."** arthas blinks, before growling. "Then why are you here, demon?" The nameless demon sighs, frowning as he took in the surrounding area. **"Damn... I must have traveled further than I intended... heed my words, young prince. If you value your people, take heed of the warnings of doom. A threat quickly approaches this land, and only you and your closest allies can stop it. If you do not take heed... then we will meet again."** The demon then began weaving it's claws, a spell circle with numerous runes appearing beneath him, before teleporting away, arthas frowning. "A threat? To my people?... those runes... I recognize them from the kirin tor of dalaran.. what the hell is going on?"

Arthas pushes himself up, beginning to track back through the forest, seeing timmy and his mother hugging each other tightly as 6 more children came in to join the hug. "Oh, light bless you, prince arthas." She comes up to him, placing a ring in his hand. "I know it's not much, but please, take this. My husband left it for me. It should protect you against your enemies."

Arthas thanked the woman, slipping on the ring as he felt a weak magic encompass him, feeling as if his armor was made stronger. "Alright, men. Let's continue. On to strahnbrad!" They salute, marching with arthas further down the path, arthas lost in thought about his encounter with the blue demon, before noticing a commotion, a farmer being shoved to the ground while his wife cowered, both of them surrounded by bandits.

"Help! Bandits are stealing our belongings!" The leader smirks, taking a book from a pack as he and his goons ran off, arthas and his men approaching. "What did they take?" The man got up, looking to arthas. "They stole my ledger. Without it, I will lose my entire farm." Arthas growls, before turning to his footmen. "Men, we March on the bandit's camp."

Arthas and his men March in the direction that the bandits fled, trudging through a river, before coming up on the camp, the bandits glaring at arthas and his men. There were 6 bandits total. Four in front with leather armor and axes, one in the back with a crossbow, and the leader, who rode a horse with a magical staff in his hands. "They followed us. Slaughter them all, men."

The bandits charged as arthas and his men readied themselves, the leader and the cross bowman firing a bolt and a ball of flame at arthas. Arthas raised his maul as a divine shield absorbed the attacks, his footmen engaging with the axe men. Two of them went down quickly, one of the axe men getting a hit on the shoulder on one of arthas's footmen, that soldier dropping his sword as his arm went limp. Arthas swung his hammer into the axe man's chest, ribs breaking under the weight of the maul. Arthas then raised his maul with a book in his other hand, casting a holy light spell on the injured soldier, the soldier regaining feeling in his arm, taking his sword again, before joining his fellow soldiers, 2 on them dealing with the last axeman, the remaining 4 surrounding the cross bowman while he was trying to reload. The leader snarled, sending another fireball at arthas as his divine shield went down, arthas grunting in pain, but the magic of the ring made the flames tolerable. Arthas swung his hammer, knocking the bandit leader off of his horse, before slamming it down on the fallen bandit's skull, silencing him.

Arthas looked at the bodies, the crossbowman holding his hands in surrender, arthas coming up to him, before frowning. The crossbowman was shivering in fear, but what angered arthas was that he looked to be no older than 16. "Why did you fight for them, boy?" The young bandit gulped, sweating nervously. "M-my village was destroyed by the orcs, and... t-they took me in from the streets." Arthas frowns, knowing a life in prison awaited this young man. "Pick up your weapon. You are now an official soldier of Lorderon. You serve under me, understand? What's your name?" The bandit's eyes widened, before nodding furiously. "O-of course, your highness. My name is Rakan." He grabbed his crossbow, arthas nodding. "Good. Now, where is the farmer's ledger?" Rakan points to the leader's dead body. "In his pack. He also has a few potions." Arthas went through the bag, finding the ledger and two potions. One green, the other blue.

Arthas leaves the bag on the body. "We go back to the farmer, then on to Stranbrad." The soldiers salute, rakan saluting as well as they marched back through the river, the farmer looking hopeful as arthas presented the ledger. "Thank you, milord." The farmer's wife comes up with a green potion. "Here. This should heal any wound you take when facing those wretched orcs." Arthas nods. "Thank you, ma'am." They wave as arthas and his soldiers made their way down the road, finally reaching the city... but the gate was broken down, a villager running for his life away from an arc, the orc about to bring it's axe down, only to cry out in pain as a crossbow bolt pierced through it's hand, rakan pulling another bolt as he reloaded, arthas charging to smash the orc's skull in. "We're too late. The attack has already started. To arms, my brothers!"

They rushed into the village, arthas gritting his teeth as he saw burning buildings all around them, several villagers running away, only for a red orc on a horse to trample over them, two grunts following, before seeing arthas. "The humans have brought reinforcements. More to kill." Arthas looked furious. "Slaughter them all, men. Let not a single one of these monster get away!" The footmen charged as rakan took aim, the two grunts charging at arthas's forces while the red orc rode away. Arthas rushed forward with his troops, Rahman's bolt punching into the first orc's shoulder pad, the gor yelling out as he swung wildly, the first footman in front of it raising a shield to block the axe, before stabbing with his sword into the front's gut, arthas coming up to side swing against the orc's head, a snap being heard as the orc's neck broke, killing it. The other orc roared in anger, but was cut short as he was quickly surrounded, and impaled with swords from the other five footmen. Arthas looked around, hearing swords clash from around a building. "This way."

Arthas and his men come around the building, seeing three footmen fighting off two grunts, one of the soldiers down and bleeding. Arthas charged forward, slamming one of the grunts out of the way, the green brother's body slamming into the weak wall of a burning building, crying out as the building collapsed on top of it. The other grunt growls, before throwing his axe at arthas, starting to run as he was heavily outnumbered. Arthas deflected the axe, about to give chase when a bolt slammed into the side of the orc's head, killing it. Arthas turned his attention to the footmen, casting holy light to heal the one who was unconscious. "Come, my warriors. We must stop the orcs."

The three soldiers saluted. "At once, my lord. They filed in with arthas, who started going in the direction the red orc had fled. They approached an area, where a couple of grunts were bowing, the red orc looking furious. "What do you mean you lost the wretches!?" A grunt winces, his right arm bleeding from claw marks on his skin. "We could do nothing. We had the humans, but some winged demon attacked us. He shattered the chains, and the humans fled to the forest." The red orc growls. "Damn it! I will not leave empty handed!"

Arthas frowns, one of the footmen coming up. "What do you think of this 'winged demon'." Arthas thinks back to the demon in the woods, before shaking his head. "We'll worry about that later. For now, we must eliminate these orcs." The men nod, before arthas led them, charging towards the red orc and his four grunts, but the two wounded by the earlier attack couldn't get up, grunting as blood seeped from their wounds. The red orc roars for battle as he charged, his two healthy grunts following as the red orc brought down his mace to strike arthas. "We will slaughter you, weak human."

Arthas growls, taking the full impact of the mace. "You will pay for your crimes against my people!" He raises his hammer, slamming it down on the orc slave master's shield, causing the red orc to grunt as he tried to keep his balance, lashing out again with his spiked mace, smashing into arthas's armor. Arthas growls, slamming his maul into the slavery's shield again, before giving a swift punch to the slavery's exposed gut, knocking the red orc off his horse, falling to the ground. The slaver roars in rage as he charged arthas, only to cry out in pain as a crossbow bolt lodged into his knee, causing the slaver to fall to the ground, dropping his mace, looking up as arthas glared down at him. "Your efforts are futile... soon, the skies will burn, and your kingdom will be destroyed." Arthas frowns, before raising his hammer high. "Then I shall send you back to your masters." He swings down, splattering the slave masters head across the ground.

The two grunts had fallen due to sheer numbers, the last remaining orcs holding their hands in surrender. Arthas came up to the orcs, frowning. "I should have you both executed for your actions." The first orc growls. "What would a human prince know? You are not ostracized for events of the past. I may be a pillager, but what I do is for my family... my daughter." Arthas blinks in surprise, looking to the other orc, who looks down. "My wife is in late pregnancy, but she is sick. We do not have the medicine you have... she and the child will die if i did nothing."

Arthas stared at the two orcs, realizing that killing them was not as simple as he first thought. "... take them back to camp. Restrain them, but give them food and water. And get a medic to treat their wounds. There is much more than we thought going on here." The footmen looked to the orcs, now seeing that maybe there was more going on than they had thought, helping the two grunts to their feet, while villagers came back through the trees beyond the gate, greeting arthas. "You saved us all, milord." Arthas smiles. "Please, it was my men and I who helped, but I do have a question. The demon who attacked the orcs. Did you see him?" They all nod hesitantly, a child coming up. "He was really tall and scary, but he broke the chains and told us to run..." Arthas smiles, ruffling the boy's hair. "Good. I'm just glad you all are safe... I will ride to meet with Uther, the light bringer." He turns, addressing his soldiers. "Six of you men stay here and guard the villagers. You three and rakan, you are with me." They all nod, the slave master's horse looking around, before rakan came up to it, offering a carrot, which the horse gladly took. "Sir, this horse was made for battle... perhaps you should have it now that you defeated it's previous master?"

Arthas looks to the black and red horse, coming up to let it's snout, the horse enjoying the leather against its hide. Arthas nods. "It's a good horse..." he steps into the stirrup, mounting the horse, the horse shaking its main lightly, but made no other action. "Very well. Let's move, men." The footmen and rakan salute, following with the two injured orks as they made for Uther's camp, arthas's mind racing. Who was the blue demon. Why did it save the villagers of Strahnbrad... and were they... wrong about the orcs? Arthas had a feeling, he would learn the truth soon, as they marched to meet with Uther.

_**This actually turned out much better than I had expected. As with most stories, you all will have to wait before getting some answers. But, rakan will be getting a small spotlight, and the real reason for the orc's agreeing with the attack. I plan on adding a lot of twists and turns on this story, and I will be the first to admit, this story is inspired by the story 'the lich king's ascension' by reaperofbalance, a great story that I hope gets continued, and recommend at least a look at. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it, leave any advice or criticism in the reviews. Trolls/haters will be ignored, and promptly told to stop reading if they don't like it. This is Neroreborn, and I hope to see you guys next time.**_

_**(Small edit. the last version of this chapter was solely written on my phone, so I was not able to see the errors or capitalization issues before. Hope this version proves to be a bit better.)**_


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